Israel - General Information
Country Name
Israel (officially the State of Israel, Medīnat Yisrā'el: יִשְׂרָאֵל,)
National Railway System
Israel Railways (Rakevet Yisra'el: רַכֶּבֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל )
Official Website
Language
Israel has two official languages, Hebrew and Arabic. Hebrew is the primary language of the state and is spoken by the majority of the population.
Currency
New shekel (₪); symbol ILS.
UIC code
Numeric 95; alpha IL.
Timetable
Journey Planner
Downloadable Timetable
PDF timetable files for the whole country are available here. Although the web page is in Hebrew, the timetable files are in both English and Hebrew.
Printed Timetable
Printed timetable booklets are available for sale for the first few months after a timetable change.
Engineering Information
Changes in rail services, including those due to engineering works can be accessed from the Home Page.
Bus Information
Not known
Maps
Printed Maps
"World Rail Atlas Vol. 8 The Middle East and Caucasus" by Neil Robinson (ISBN-10: 954-12-0128-8; ISBN-13: 978-954-12-0128-2)
Web-based Maps
Thorsten Büker's Map of Israel
Wikipedia Israel Railways. Existing lines are shown in black; lines under construction or advanced planning in red; lines approved in purple. The purple line from Lod to Rosh HaAyin is an existing freight line, with a connecting curve to allow trains from Lod to access Ben Gurion Airport. The line shown in grey is an extension to Jordan.
Ticketing
See the Israel Railways website
Gauge
Standard.
Electrification
At present there are no electrified lines in Israel. In the spring of 2010, the government agreed the first phase of a programme to electrify 420 km of route at 25 kV 50Hz AC.
Rule of the road
Left.
Other Railways
None.
Tourist Lines
None.
Metro
None.
Trams
Jerusalem (Light Rail). A network is planned for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area.
Recent and future changes
The first section of the 60 km long Ashkelon – Goral Jn (– Be`er Sheva) line, from Ashkelon to Sderot, was opened on 25 December 2013. Shderot to Netivot is due to open this year, with the final stretch via Ofakim to Goral Jn scheduled for completion in 2015. The link will provide a second route from Be'er Sheva to Tel Aviv for both passenger and freight trains.
The Israel Railways Development Plan also contains a number of other significant engineering projects:
- The Jerusalem High Speed Link Project, connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv by means of a new 38 km line branching off the Ben Gurion Airport-Modi‘in Line to an underground terminal in central Jerusalem.
- Doubling and upgrading Tel Aviv - Kefar Sava, Motzkin – Nahariyya and Lod – Na‘an – Be`er Sheva.
- Construction of a 19 km double track line from Rishon LeTsiyyon West to Bne Darom Junction, connecting with the Ashdod – Ashkelon Line.
- Construction of a 18 km double track line from Tel Aviv-HaHagana to Rishon LeTsiyyon West.
- Sharon Line (Ra‘anana – Coastal Line): construction of a 12 km double track alignment branching off the coastal line to Kefar Sava.
In May 2012 the cabinet approved construction of a line from Tel Aviv to Eilat to enable freight to bypass the Suez Canal. The 350km line will be for passengers and freight and is due to shorten travel time to two hours. The route is close to being finalized, will take five years to build and be funded by the Chinese. A new port will be built near Eilat, with a double track line to Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast. The main drive for this comes from increased fears of instability in Egypt.
Special Notes
Distances
Distances are available for some lines
Tel Aviv - Jerusalem
Tel Avivi HaHagana | 0 |
Kfar Habbad | 5 |
Lod | 15.3 |
Ramleh West | 17.8 |
Na'an | 26.8 |
Bet Shemesh | 46.3 |
Bar Giyyora | 59.5 |
Bittir | 72.1 |
Jerusalem Zoo | 78.5 |
Jerusalem Malha | 79.5 |
Jerusalem old Main Station (without traffic) | 83.0 |
Haifa - Lebanese Border
Haifa Mizrah | 0 |
Qishon | 5.4 |
Lev HaMifraz | 6.2 |
Hutzot HaMifraz | 7.4 |
Qiryat Haim | 8.0 |
Qiryat Motzkin | 9.0 |
Akko | 20.7 |
Bustan Ha-Galil | 23.0 |
Shavei Zion | 26.5 |
Nahariyya | 29.5 |
Bezet | 34.5 (no traffic) |
Lebanese Border about | 38.5 |
Haifa - Tel Aviv
Haifa Mizrah | 0 |
Haifa Merkaz | 1.5 |
Haifa Bat Galim | 2.8 |
Hof ha-Karmel | 7.1 |
Atlit | 20.5 |
Zikhron-Ya'aqov | 34.5 (closed) |
Binyamina | 40.8 |
Qesaryya Pardes-Hanna | 44.7 |
Hadera Maarav | 51.5 |
Kfar Vitkin | 58.0 (closed) |
Netanya | 65.6 |
Bet Yehoshu'a | 72.5 |
Herzliyya | 83.9 |
Tel Aviv University | 91.9 |
Tel Aviv Ha-Shalom | 94.1 |
Tel Aviv Yizhak Sadeh | 95.0 |
Tel Aviv Ha-Hagana | 96.2 |
Lod - Gaza Strip Border
Lod | 0 |
Be'er Ya'akov | 5.2 |
Rehovot | 9.5 |
Yavne | 16.9 |
Ashdod Ad-Halom | 29.8 |
Ashqelon | 44.4 |
Ge'a | 48 (closed) |
Shiqma Junction | 53 (to Rutenberg Power Station, 5 Km) |
Yad Mordechai | 56.7 |
Border to Gaza about | 62.4 |
Na'an - Har Zin
Na'an | 0 |
Qiryat Gat | 43.2 |
Be'er Sheva Tzafon | 73.0 |
Be'er Sheva Merkaz | 75.9 (on branch) |
Dimona | 109 |
Oron | 138.0 (freight only) |
Har Zin | 171.6 (freight only) |